Kerry, 69, has chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee since 2009. News of his nomination comes after Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, withdrew as the top candidate for the post amid a hailstorm of criticism from Republicans on Capitol Hill for her initial remarks on the attacks in Benghazi, Libya.

Schiff, a member of the State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee, released a statement Friday Kerry and the decision to nominate him.

“In nominating John Kerry as our nation’s next Secretary of State, President Obama has selected one of America’s most able diplomatic figures and someone very familiar to leaders around the globe,” Schiff said. “In the wake of the Benghazi incident and in an era of strained resources and novel challenges, Secretary-designate Kerry will need all of our support as he prepares to take over as America’s top diplomat."